Mets series preview

After dropping two of three to the White Sox, the Braves travel to Citi Field to begin a four-game set against the fourth-place New York Mets.  Losing two of three to a last place team is never a good thing, obviously, but given the Braves' current injury situation, they should be afforded a modest amount of slack.  Still, a 24-28 record away from Turner Field is a source of frustration, and while the 2013 version of the Mets don't scare anyone short of the Marlins, they have certainly shown an ability to hold their own against the Braves, most recently having taken three of five in Atlanta a few weeks ago.  Not having to face Matt Harvey should ease the anxieties heading into this series, and while Zach Wheeler still looms, he has not looked nearly as dominant lately as he did in his major league debut against Atlanta.

The Mets are 10-6 in July, but they have played their best ball on the road, with a paltry 19-28 record at Citi Field.  It goes without saying, a series win here is crucial, especially when considering the fact that the Phillies and Nationals are starting series against two of the NL's best teams, with the Phillies going up against the Cardinals, and the Nats going up against the Pirates. 

The Pitchers:

Dillon Gee has faced the Braves twice this season.  In his first appearance against the Braves at Citi Field, he was touched up for five earned runs on eight hits while striking out four and walking none.  His second appearance came at Turner Field, and he pitched a much more effective (though far from dominant) eight and a third innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs, striking out six and walking one.  Gee has gone at least six innings in all but one of his starts since his May 25 loss to Atlanta.  His fastball sits in the upper 80s and is complimented by a good curve and changeup.  

Carlos Torres has pitched almost exclusively out of the bullpen this season, but with Shaun Marcum on the DL, he has been thrust into the role of starter.  He has faced Atlanta once this season in a relief appearance on June 19, pitching two and a third innings, striking out four and walking one.  He features a good cutter and mixes in a slider/curve to keep hitters off balance.  Historically, his curve is his most effective pitch.

Jeremy Hefner has been as volatile as any pitcher in the league so far in 2013.  He has faced the Braves once, earning a loss in six-inning, three hit, two run effort on May 24 at Citi Field.  That game marked the tenth consecutive loss for the Mets in games started by Hefner, a streak that would be broken in his next outing against the Yankees.  Though the losses piled up during his starts, much of the blame can be attributed to the lack of run production by the Mets' offense. 

From the beginning of June until his last start on July 19, Hefner posted very good stat lines in his starts, not allowing more than two earned runs in the eight starts during that time span, and going at least five innings in all of them.  That changed during his last outing on July 19 against Philadelphia, a game that saw him allow ten hits and eight earned runs in two innings while striking out three and walking none, causing his ERA to jump over half a run on the season. 

Hefner has come to rely more on his fastball and slider in 2013, as his curve/changeup usage has dropped slightly in favor of the other pitches.  His slider is his best pitch, but his fastball and curve are nothing to scoff at.  Hefner's not going to wow anyone, but when he's got a good feel for his offspeed stuff he can be very dangerous, particularly against righties. 

The much-ballyhooed Zach Wheeler gets the start in the final game of the series, and with all the attention garnered by Matt Harvey, Wheeler seems to be flying under the radar somewhat.  Though his performance hasn't been up to the lofty standard set by Harvey, he has looked formidable nevertheless.  His debut came against the Braves, a game that saw him go six innings while allowing four hits, no runs, seven strikeouts and five walks.  Since then, he has gone more than five innings only once in five starts, most recently going four and two-thirds against Philadelphia on July 20, allowing only two earned runs on seven hits, but throwing 106 pitches in the process of doing so. 

Wheeler has leaned heavily on a mid-90s fastball so far in his early career, but the offspeed stuff is good enough to keep hitters honest.  While he doesn't seem to have found his "feel" for those pitches quite yet, it's only a matter of time before he does.  The Paulding County native has all the tools at his disposal to be really, really good for a long time. 

Series matchups:

Tonight, 7:10 (local broadcast)

Julio Teheran v. Dillon Gee

Tuesday, 7:10 (local broadcast)

Kris Medlen v. Carlos Torres

Wednesday, 7:10 (local broadcast)

Tim Hudson v. Jeremy Hefner

Thursday, 12:10 (local broadcast)

Alex Wood v. Zach Wheeler

Lineup for tonight's game:

Simmons (sigh)
Heyward
J Upton
Freeman
McCann
Gattis
Uggla
Johnson

*Dave O'Brien reports that BJ Upton will run today for the first time since his injury, but he will not return from the DL this weekend when he's eligible.  A rehab assignment is almost certainly in order.*

*ESPN reports that Paul Maholm has been placed on the 15-day DL*

(Stats and images courtesy of ESPN, FanGraphs, and ESPN Hit Tracker)